Wednesday, February 21, 2007

The Daily Bellwether: Ohio's New Bills in the Hopper--It's so great to hear somebody talking about stripping away the protections that allow government and nonprofit swashbucklers to operate like little gangsters, and with impunity. Bob Ney's malfeasance and mendacity are beginning to turn up some positives.

But the reform proposed in SB3 -- a reform long overdue -- could go a long way toward cleaning up government. If the measure passes, a public official would forfeit a state pension upon conviction of a felony if serving in office.Call it the Bob Ney Law. The Republican Congressman from Ohio kept his retirement pay even as he went to prison after being snared in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal. Ney's misconduct ended with a monthly check from the taxpayers for the rest of his life. SB3 would not impact federal pensions, obviously, but it would pinch the pockets of Ohio's boodlers.